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MDLIAN 3496
REC:
- 1 DEC 1993
INDE,
ли Au lut Suplem.
OF 301754Z NOVEMBER 93
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG, TAIPEI, EC POSTS, WASHINGTON INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG, TOKYO
GERMANY/CHINA: EXCHANGE OF INVITATIONS TO HEADS OF STATE
Summary
1. Decision taken in Chancellery at behest of von Weizsaecker. Germans regard the ban on Heads of State visits as dead duck in Light of Portuguese invitation, Clinton's meeting in Seattle and gradual end of "stigmatisation" of China.
Detail
2. During Kohl's visit to China 14 to 22 November, invitations were exchanged for President von Weizsaecker to visit China and Jiang Zhemin to Germany (Peking telno 1497 refers). Hauswedell, Head of Asia, Africa and Americas Department in the Federal Chancellery, who accompanied Kohl on the trip and is his principal adviser on China, gave us the background on 29 November.
3.
The Chinese had learnt that von Weizsaecker wanted to visit China before his term ends as President in May 1994. The Auswaertiges Amt told us some time ago that he wanted to go that they were refusing to allow him because of the EC ban. Hauswedell implied (please protect) that von Weizsaecker had gone behind the back of the Auswaertiges Amt and had persuaded Kohl to allow him to go.
In any case, the fact that the Chinese had learnt of his desire to go put the Germans in an awkward position.
4.
Hauswedell said that the decision had been taken in the light of several factors. First, that Portugal had already broken ranks by inviting Jiang. Second, that Clinton was meeting Jiang in Seattle. Third, that the policy on Heads of State visits had "withered". Hauswedell said that the feeling was that the "stigmatisation" [of China] was coming to an end.
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